


More Than Meets the Eye

by ohayohimawari



Category: Naruto
Genre: Akatsuki Hatake Kakashi, Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Canon, Canonical Character Death, Danzo Is Still A Villain, Implied/Referenced Suicide, KakaObi Week 2020, M/M, No Uchiha Massacre, POV Uchiha Obito, Personality Swap, What Is Evil and What Is Good?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:35:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22657918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohayohimawari/pseuds/ohayohimawari
Summary: Obito returns to Konoha after a mission to find his entire world turned upside down. He searches underneath the underneath in order to find the truth.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito
Comments: 7
Kudos: 128
Collections: KakaObi Week 2020





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Switched Personalities prompt of KakaObiWeek 2020  
> More tags will be added upon completion.
> 
> Thank you to my beta reader, Birkastan2018, for their insight and encouragement.
> 
> I do not own these characters; I'm having a wonderful time switching them around from their canon selves.

Though he’d only been gone for forty-eight hours, Konoha was not the same place when Obito returned to it. From the moment he’d checked in at the village gate, comrades and civilians alike looked at him pityingly, and then diverted their eyes from his when they were caught. His anxiety grew as he neared the Hokage tower to report to Lord Third.

And when he left it again, Obito was in shock.

He neither remembered nor cared if he gave a complete report of his most recent mission, and it seemed the Hokage was no longer concerned with the details anyway. Not when he had to inform Obito that Shisui Uchiha had been found dead and that Kakashi and Itachi had abandoned the Leaf Village.

Obito staggered through the streets of Konoha as a weight settled in his stomach and grew heavier with each step. He looked without seeing, heard without listening; he could hardly breathe as he surrendered to wherever his feet chose to take him. They delivered him in front of Rin’s grave, where he stood still, numb, and blinking dry eyes at the name of his childhood friend etched into the Memorial Stone.

Rin Nohara had proved to be the hero of their team. She transplanted one of Obito’s Sharingan eyes into Kakashi, allowing the latter to wield chidori with the necessary precision to destroy a boulder which had pinned half of Obito beneath it. Then, she was relentless in her efforts to heal him until he could continue as a shinobi and pursue his dream of becoming Hokage. After her abduction and the forced implant of the Three-Tails, Rin proved to be a hero to the entire village when she forfeited her life before she could be used to destroy the Hidden Leaf.

Rin’s loss was devastating to the remaining members of Team Minato and Kakashi the most. Rin had chosen to die at his hand, even as Obito had begged her not to. She had slipped from his grasp, threw herself upon Kakashi’s lightning blade, and as they both watched in horror, the Mangekyo formed in their shared pair of Sharingan eyes. The newly-acquired visual prowess couldn’t help Kakashi find his way out of the darkness, and when their sensei assumed the position of Hokage, he assigned Kakashi to a role that would keep him there.

It was one of the few times that Obito questioned the Yellow Flash, and it remained unresolved as Namikaze perished shortly thereafter as well. Only Kakashi and Obito remained then, burdened with Minato and Rin’s hopes and dreams as well as their own. They cycled through blame, anger, and isolation before they could meet as friends again. Then, they had become something infinitely more dear.

Despite Obito’s protests, Lord Third insisted on keeping Kakashi in the shadows of the ANBU, even promoting him to captain of his own squad within it. Obito worried about what Kakashi might know and never be allowed to speak of regarding Konoha’s inner workings. Many nights were spent wondering if the man in his arms was sleeping as soundly as he appeared to be. However, even in his worst waking nightmares, he never thought that Kakashi would abandon both himself _and_ the Leaf.

Obito realized his face was wet before he registered that it was his own tears that made it so.

_‘Crybaby,’_ Kakashi’s baritone echoed softly in his ears, and Obito dropped to his knees, clutching his chest, unable to breathe knowing that without his teammates and his lover, he was suddenly more alone than he ever had been. The figure of an ANBU agent materialized from the trunk of a nearby tree and approached him.

“Easy now, look at me,” the man’s compassionate voice was in direct contrast to the maniacal painted wildcat face he wore.

The ceramic mask did nothing to improve Obito’s condition. The agent seemed to realize it and removed it before speaking again. “Breathe in, slowly now. Count with me; one, two, three, four, five. Now, breathe out; one, two, three, four, five.”

With the mask gone, Obito recognized the man beneath it as a member of Kakashi’s squad. He didn’t know the agent’s name or even his codename, but the man’s warm almond-shaped eyes conveyed sincere concern. Within minutes, Obito was breathing easier again.

“You’re not here by chance; you were waiting for me,” Obito panted out. “You know something.”

“I know a _little_ ,” the agent corrected him, “enough that I’m unable to accept that Kakashi-senpai must now be my enemy.”

The agent’s words were of little comfort, and Obito winced at them. “But you’re not going to tell me, are you?”

The ANBU opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, another man called out, “Obito!”

Obito turned his head in the direction of the voice he heard in time to see Sakumo Hatake rushing toward him. Then he stopped, narrowed his eyes, and he addressed the ANBU agent in the coldest, menacing tone Obito had ever heard from the man. “You get away from him.”

“Look underneath the underneath,” the agent whispered, hurriedly, as the wrath of the White Fang came nearer to them. “When you’re ready, meet with Kakashi in Kamui’s Dimension. And Obito, do not ever-under any circumstance-allow yourself to be alone with Danzō Shimura.”

The agent disappeared before Sakumo reached them, and he scowled briefly before turning his attention to Obito. “I’m so sorry. I meant to meet you at the gate, Obito. This must have been a terrible shock to you,” he spoke as he helped Obito to his feet. “It’s been a terrible shock to me,” he choked on the admission.

Obito felt his face crumple as he took in the diminished countenance of Sakumo Hatake. Even as he was being helped to his feet, he wished to comfort the man who was both his hero and the closest thing he had to a father. “There has to be more than meets the eye here, Hatake-san.”

“Yes. You’re correct, and I do believe that. Oh, but Obito,” Sakumo lifted one hand to squeeze Obito’s shoulder, “forgive my selfishness. We’ve both suffered a loss.”

“I’m not willing to write Kakashi off, Hatake-san, not yet. But, and I hate to ask this of you—”

“You’re staying with me, for now, Obito,” Sakumo interrupted him, and Obito almost collapsed with relief. “You can’t access your apartment right now, and Kakashi’s is—well. Gai has brought some of your things to my home.”

The two men stood up together, bracing each other as they did. “We have to look underneath the underneath,” Obito repeated the ANBU agent’s advice to him, “and until I’ve seen everything, I won’t believe what people say of him.”

“Thank you, Obito, I know that you love him, and I know that he loves you. There has to be a reason,” Sakumo’s hands curled into fists.

Obito nodded, shock beginning to fade, and the scope of the sudden changes in Konoha and his life became clearer.

Sakumo shook his head, “I’m sorry, let’s take this one step at a time. Let’s get some dinner in you, I’ve barely eaten myself, and we’ll move on from there.” His eyes sought Obito’s.

“We haven’t lost everything yet, and certainly not hope.”


	2. Part Two

Obito was startled awake from an uneasy slumber in the middle of the night. He jolted out of bed when he realized that someone was pounding on the door to the Hatake home. He ran to the door just in time to see Sakumo yank it open.

“Jiraiya, Orochimaru, come in,” he said as he held the door open wide to them.

“Sorry to wake you, Sakumo,” Jiraiya said as he entered. “Hey, kid,” he greeted Obito with a grim expression.

“What’s happened?” Sakumo asked once he’d closed the door behind Orochimaru.

“That’s what we’ve come to ask you,” Orochimaru replied.

Sakumo looked as confused as Obito felt. Jiraiya cleared his throat. “Why don’t you have a seat, friend,” he said.

“This could be a long night, I’ll make some tea,” Orochimaru offered and left the room as Obito and Sakumo both sank into chairs, bracing themselves for whatever Jiraiya had to say.

“This morning, we saw Kakashi and Itachi entering one of Tsunade’s known Akatsuki hideouts,” Jiraiya issued bluntly, “and we know that she’s there with several members of her organization right now.”

Sakumo cradled his head in his hands while Obito gaped in disbelief. Tsunade was a traitor to the Hidden Leaf, had been ever since she abandoned the village on the night of the Nine-Tails attack. It had been an overwhelming shock to all that the granddaughter of the First Hokage would turn her back on the shinobi village that he founded. The fact that she’d done it when they needed her the most was unforgivable.

Sakumo sprang from his chair and began to pace the room. “There must be a reason for this; there _must_ be,” he fretted. “Kakashi wouldn’t, he-he _couldn’t_ ,” his eyes met Obito’s, “would he?”

“No, no, Hatake-san, you’re right. There must be a reason,” Obito reassured him.

Sakumo nodded, and his eyes darted to Jiraiya. “Have you told Lord Third?”

“No, we came here first,” Jiraiya replied quietly.

“Thank you,” Sakumo replied, just as quietly. He retook his seat, as Orochimaru returned with tea. “Thank you,” he repeated when he was handed a full, steaming cup.

“There’s something that the ANBU agent said to me,” Obito spoke his thoughts aloud as they formed. “He said that he was unable to accept that Kakashi must be his enemy, and,” Obito drew in a sharp breath, “that I should never be alone with Lord Danzō.” He sipped his tea and opted to keep the information about Kamui’s Dimension to himself, for now.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru shared a long, knowing look between them. Sakumo spoke, pulling their attention to him. “That still doesn’t explain Shisui’s death.”

“Shisui Uchiha is dead?” Jiraiya exclaimed, though still in a hushed tone. It was his and Orochimaru’s turn to need to sit down. “How?”

Obito felt rather than saw Sakumo’s eyes on him. “Lord Third only told me that Shisui was found dead with both of his eyes missing,” he offered what he knew.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru shared another look between them.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Sakumo asked them.

Jiraiya sighed and reached for the tea. Orochimaru’s hesitation gave way more quickly. “We believe that there is more to Tsunade’s defection than meets the eye,” he began. “We’ve learned that she performed medical experiments upon the agents of Lord Danzō’s Foundation, and on Lord Danzō himself—”

“Under _his_ orders,” Jiraiya interrupted with the elaboration.

“What kind of experiments?” Sakumo asked, and before either could answer, his next question burst out. “For what reason?”

“We don’t know everything,” Orochimaru attempted to answer both at the same time. “However, we do know that it had to do with the Sharingan.”

“Sakumo,” Jiraiya pulled everyone’s attention to him, “someone was controlling the Nine-Tails that night, and it couldn’t have been Tsunade.”

Sakumo shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Jiraiya, I know how you felt about her—”

“It would be impossible for Tsunade to control the Nine-Tails,” Orochimaru interrupted him. “A Sharingan user caused that attack,” he stated emphatically.

“No one in the Uchiha clan would’ve done such a thing, we were all accounted for that night,” Obito was quick to defend his clansmen, a reflex that had been honed since the night of the attack.

“Exactly,” Orochimaru agreed.

A heavy silence followed, and Jiraiya made it even heavier, “Lord Third has not been the same man that we have known since he resumed his position as Hokage.”

“What are you implying?” Sakumo hushed his voice to a whisper.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru glanced at each other briefly. “Even we aren’t entirely sure, but we found something, some notes that Tsunade left behind when she abandoned one of her hideouts,” Orochimaru seemed to choose his words carefully, “about the Kotoamatsukami.”

Obito knew that jutsu. “The ultimate genjutsu,” he muttered, “it allows you to manipulate someone, without the victim’s knowledge that they’re being controlled. Because of that, _and_ that it takes a decade for a Sharingan eye to recover from it, it’s forbidden.”

“That period of time can be drastically reduced if one acquired the stamina provided by Lord First’s cells,” Orochimaru countered, “which was also among the notes of her experiments.”

“Tsunade is no idiot, Sakumo,” Jiraiya asserted, “she knows that we’re following her. We believe that she is intentionally leaving information for us to find.”

Silence filled the room once again and lasted longer this time.

Sakumo shook his head to clear it. “None of this brings me any closer to understanding why Kakashi would abandon the Leaf.”

Obito looked at Sakumo and shared that man’s frustration as well as shared his pain. Whether Obito was ready to meet Kakashi in Kamui’s Dimension or not, he needed answers, and he needed them now.


	3. Part Three

Sleep hadn’t returned to Obito that night.

The sun rose, but Sakumo and the two Sannin remained asleep. Obito took advantage of the opportunity and crept out of the Hatake home undetected. He took to the trees, leaping from branch to branch, until he halted abruptly, his heart pounding from anticipation and the burst of exercise. Obito sucked in a bracing breath, and activated Kamui, sending himself to the dimension that he shared with only one other.

That other was already there waiting for him.

“Obito,” Kakashi rose to his feet.

Various emotions struggled to reach the surface, but Obito choked them back down. “Stay where you are,” he said, holding his hand up.

The two men stared at one another as if they were really seeing each other for the first time. Kakashi looked away first.

“Tell me you weren’t involved in Shisui’s death,” the first of Obito’s concerns tumbled from his lips.

Kakashi met his eyes immediately. “No, of course, I wasn’t, Obito.”

Obito’s breath shuddered out through trembling lips, relieved. Kakashi wilted a little at his reaction and took a step toward him.

“No,” Obito’s voice shook, and he pointed his finger in accusation, which stopped Kakashi in his tracks. “Explain yourself.”

Kakashi tugged his mask down with one hand and rubbed his head with the other. Obito had never seen him look so tired, so _worn_.

“Lord Third ordered Shisui and Itachi to kill every last member of the Uchiha clan.”

Obito stood numb, enveloped in shock once more. “How do you know this?” He whispered.

“Itachi told me, well as much as he could, anyway,” Kakashi balled his hands into fists, “he was a wreck, Obito.”

“Did _he_ kill Shisui?” Obito couldn’t believe he was asking the question, but then again, he didn’t know _what_ he could believe at all at that point.

“No,” Kakashi shook his head. “Obito, I’m so sorry, but your cousin killed himself.”

Obito’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

“According to Itachi, he and Shisui planned to use Kotoamatsukami to prevent the massacre, but then Lord Danzō confronted Shisui, and ripped one of his eyes out. Shisui got away before he lost both of them. He informed Itachi, gave him his remaining eye to protect him, and then—”

“Shisui was found in the river,” Obito interrupted.

Kakashi remained where he stood, but his arms twitched at his sides. “I’m sorry, Obito.”

“You’ve said that twice now,” Obito snapped at him, “how many more apologies do have for me?”

Kakashi sighed. “Itachi was about to do the same when I found him, Obito. He was desperate, terrified of either following those orders _or_ disobeying them.” His eyes searched Obito’s. “What was I supposed to do? He is my teammate—no, he is my _kōhai_. I couldn’t turn my back on him, Obito; I wouldn’t.” His hands curled into fists again, “I won’t sacrifice another comrade.”

“So you left _all_ of them behind to join the Akatsuki instead?” Obito knew he shouldn’t regret the question, though the pained expression on Kakashi’s face caused him to.

“Where else could we go?” Kakashi’s voice rose with his question. “I didn’t have much time to think, Obito. But I’ll tell you this, knowing what I know now, I don’t regret it.”

Kakashi straightened his posture and stood taller before he spoke again. “There’s something rotten in the Leaf, Obito. I’ve heard things that made me question whether Lady Tsunade’s actions were as treasonous as we’re told,” Kakashi relaxed his fists again, seeming so sure of himself in this, at least. “I don’t trust Lord Danzō, and neither should you, Obito.”

“Jiraiya and Orochimaru said something last night,” Obito recounted details from the conversation the night before, “that her experiments were under Lord Danzō’s orders.”

“Yes,” Kakashi nodded, and his eyes widened, “there are multiple Sharingan eyes embedded in his skin beneath every bandage he wears. Obito,” his eyes implored Obito when he said his name, “it was Lord Danzō that unleashed the Nine-Tails on Konoha.”

Obito felt his blood drain from his face. As difficult as it was to believe such an accusation, he couldn’t deny the sound of truth. “This—”

“Goes against everything we were told,” Kakashi interrupted him. “And, Obito, that was only a test.”

“What?” Obito’s question came out in an astonished whisper.

“Lord Danzō sacrifices Sharingan eyes every time he uses them to cast Kotoamatsukami, which is often, thanks to Lord Hashirama’s cells. Lady Tsunade is convinced that Lord Third is under Lord Danzō’s control.”

“Jiraiya and Orochimaru mentioned something to that extent as well, that Lord Third wasn’t the same man,” Obito supplied.

Kakashi went quiet for a moment. “I think it will make her happy to know that her fellow Sannin are beginning to learn of her innocence. Jiraiya, especially; she misses him.”

Obito’s head snapped up. “Lady Tsunade’s innocence? Even if she isn’t guilty of everything she was charged with, she still performed experiments in secret.”

“Her goal was to expand and improve medical ninjutsu. She thought Lord Danzō was acting selflessly, on behalf of the Hidden Leaf. However,” Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, “she uncovered notes of Lord Danzō’s that included the Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei, which cast a new light on all of her experiments.”

Kakashi lifted his gaze to meet Obito’s. “Lord Danzō’s goal is to resurrect Tobirama Senju, and he means to sacrifice the Uchiha in order to bring him back. Lady Tsunade thinks that Lord Danzō sees the opportunity to harvest all of those Sharingan eyes for himself as an added bonus.”

“No,” Obito took a step back as if he’d been struck. Tobirama Senju was the first and greatest traitor of Konoha. He’d left, bitter that his brother named Madara Uchiha as his successor. He plagued the Second Hokage’s reign with repeated attacks upon the Hidden Leaf, until their fateful battle at Death Valley. Only Madara returned from it, broken that he’d had to kill the brother of his beloved friend. The rift between the founding clans lessened through the generations that followed, but it still hadn’t healed.

A deep silence fell between the two men in Kamui’s Dimension. It was some time before Kakashi broke it.

“Obito, I… I’m frightened.”

Something snapped within Obito, and he rushed toward Kakashi, all of his doubts dispelled. He seemed to suddenly remember Kakashi as his lover first, ANBU captain second, and _never_ a traitor to Konoha.

Obito held him close and felt Kakashi’s arms wrap around him, clinging to him. Obito peppered kisses along the side of Kakashi’s face until reassuring words came to him.

“Jiraiya and Orochimaru are still with your father, and I will tell them everything when I return. They have many doubts, but you aren’t among them ‘Kashi,” Obito pressed his lips to Kakashi’s, conveying the strength of his feelings through his kiss. When he pulled away to breathe, Obito rested his cheek against Kakashi’s and felt the other man’s tears trickle down his face.

“Obito, tell Tenzō too, please. He can wield Mokuton-from one of Lady Tsunade’s successful experiments-and we will need him if Lord Danzō attempts to control the Nine-Tails again.”

Obito realized that Tenzō must’ve been the ANBU agent that met him at the Memorial Stone. “I will tell him, I promise.”

Kakashi tightened his hold on Obito. “I’m not a traitor,” his voice failed him as he spoke.

“No, you’re not, I didn’t want to believe it before, and I certainly don’t now,” Obito pulled away to meet Kakashi’s eyes. “We’ll get through this; you have allies _within_ the Leaf as well as outside of it. We can meet here, to exchange information, and relay plans.”

Kakashi nodded and exhaled a shaky breath. Obito pressed their foreheads together.

“We _will_ stop Lord Danzō, and you _will_ be welcomed home again,” he whispered.

Kakashi choked out a broken sob, and Obito swallowed it with another kiss. He parted his lips and pressed them tenderly to Kakashi’s, whispering words of love and understanding against them until the other’s tears stopped flowing.

** The End **

**Author's Note:**

> Join [The Kakashi Lounge Discord Server](https://discord.gg/fxyw3eB)  
> To be a member, you must be:  
> -at least 16 years old  
> -able to play nice with others in a multishipping community


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